Enhanced Sexual Performance through Yoga: Insights on its Advantages
Ready to dive into the steamy world of yoga and its effects on your sex life? No judgment here, pal. With the golden age of wellness at our fingertips, more and more folks are swearing by the ancient practice of yoga for its mind-blowing benefits. But does the research truly back up those glowing testimonials or are they just smoking some spiritual kabbage? Let's find out.
First things first: what's the deal with this yoga stuff anyway? Modern research is just scratching the surface with its investigations into the numerous health benefits of yoga. From treating depression and anxiety to metabolic syndrome and diabetes, yoga does a lot more than just make you bendy.
And here's the dirty secret: it feels amazing, too. Don't believe the hype about the legendary coregasm during yoga? Well, sometimes it can be a real, well, really good time. The pleasure of tune-in with your bod can be replenishing, restorative, and physically satisfying, if you catch my drift. But can yoga's yummy poses really enhance our sex lives? Let's take a look at the research.
Yoga Unlocks Pleasure for Women Over 45
First up, a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine examined the impact of 12 weeks of yoga on the sexual function of 40 older women. The ladies self-reported on their sexual function before and after the yoga sessions.
After the 12-week program, all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) had significantly improved in the women. Almost three-quarters of the women reported an improvement in their sex lives post-yoga training.
To execute their sweet downward dog dive, the women were trained on 22 poses, including the triangle pose, the snake, and half spinal twist. You can check out the list of asanas here.
Yoga Spices Up the Sack for Men
It seems the benefits of yoga for a better sex life aren't just for the ladies. A study by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, examined the effect of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
At the end of the study, the participants reported a significant improvement in their sexual satisfaction, as evaluated by the standard Male Sexual Quotient. The researchers found improvements in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
And in a comparative trial, the same team of researchers found that yoga is a viable and non-pharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (aka Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation.
The Yoga Formula for Better Sex
So, how exactly does yoga get you in the mood for some sweaty lovemaking? A review of existing literature led by researchers at the University of British Columbia helps illuminate some of yoga's sex-enhancing mechanisms.
Led by Dr. Lori Brotto, who's a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, the review found that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and works to boost the part of the nervous system that tells your body to relax and engage in those tingly, scintillating stages of lovemaking.
Of course, there are also psychological mechanisms at play. "Female practitioners of yoga have been found to be less likely to objectify their bodies," explain Dr. Brotto and her colleagues, "and to be more aware of their physical selves."
And it turns out that there's a little vagina magic called "moola bandha," a concept that's filling some skeptics with that old curiousity. "Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory-motor and the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, and therefore enforces parasympathetic activity in the body." As a result, moola bandha directly affects the gonads and perineal body/cervix, potentially bringing about some ahem pleasurable side effects.
Other yogic concepts can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which is key to achieving better orgasms and preventing issues like urinary incontinence and sexual difficulties in women. Bhekasana, or the "frog pose," is but one yoga pose that tackles these concerns. In short, the entire practice encourages mindfulness and self-awareness, which can have a profound impact on the sexual experience.
Take the Plunge: Embrace the Yoga Lifestyle
While the sexual benefits of yoga may be enough to get folks riled up – and we're not just talking about the moola bandha – it's essential to remember the difference between empirical, or experimental, evidence and non-empirical, or anecdotal, evidence.
There's a whole heck of a lot of anecdotal evidence circulating online, but scientifically proven studies on the benefits of yoga for sexual function are still on the scarce side. However, recent studies that focused on women with sexual dysfunction hold some promise.
In a randomized controlled trial examining the effects of yoga in women with metabolic syndrome (a population with a higher risk of sexual dysfunction), the 12-week yoga program led to "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication, whereas such improvements were not seen in the women who did not practice yoga.
Additionally, a randomized looked at the sexual benefits of yoga for women living with multiple sclerosis (MS). After 3 months of yoga training, the women showed improvement in physical ability and sexual function, while the control group showed exacerbated symptoms.
The Takeaway: Experiment with Yoga and Find Closure
Although there's still more research to be done on the effectiveness of yoga for sex, the evidence so far seems pretty convincing. Until science can confirm or deny the existence of "yogasms," we think incorporating some yogic love into our daily routines is a sound idea.
Whether you want to focus on mindfulness, breathwork, or those timeless yogic spanking techniques, there's certainly a practice out there for you. Trying it out could be tremendously satisfying – and your pelvic muscles will definitely thank you for it. Namaste, lover!
- The Female Sexual Function Index shows significant improvement in sexual function among older women after a 12-week yoga program, suggesting that yoga could potentially enhance sex lives for women.
- A study by Dr. Vikas Dhikav found that a 12-week yoga program led to improved sexual satisfaction among men, with the researchers discovering improvements in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction.
- According to a review of existing literature led by researchers at the University of British Columbia, yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and boosts the part of the nervous system that encourages relaxation and engagement in lovemaking, suggesting that it may have a profound impact on the sexual experience.
